Tottenham boss Antonio Conte claims that achieving a top-four finish in the Premier League will require a "miracle" as he prepares for Sunday's clash with Newcastle United.

Spurs have won four of their last five Premier League games, having lost four of their previous five. They have also scored at least two goals in each of their last five matches, last doing so in more consecutive league games between February and April 2017 (a run of seven games).

Ahead of welcoming Newcastle to north London, Spurs trail fourth-placed Arsenal by just three points, but Conte was keen to highlight that his team are not favourites to finish in the Champions League places.

"It's right to underline that this target is very, very difficult," Conte said of Spurs' Champions League ambitions.

"We are not the only team that wants to try to do this miracle. There's also Arsenal, that in this moment has an advantage, and then there is United.

"United is the team that in this season are struggling a lot. Last season, it was Liverpool. 

"This season it depends on United. At the moment, we are among the teams that have to try to stay very close and exploit if someone fails this season.

"If you ask me about the past, about our possibility to reach a place in the Champions League, I would say it would be very, very, very difficult.

"Now, after five months, I'm seeing great improvement of my team, and we have to fight until the end. 

"We have the possibility to reach this target, and it's important to have this type of ambition and put pressure on ourselves for this target. To play Champions League next season is important for me, the club, the players, the fans, everybody."

Conte, however, was keen to focus on his own team's progress, though he did admit that a victory would put "pressure" on the Gunners.

"First of all, we have to win for us," he added. "Not look at others. This way you build a winning mentality. You have to look at yourself and not think what happens elsewhere. 

"For sure, if you get three points and get continuity, you show you're a stable team and the table becomes very interesting. 

"But we have to win for us, for our fans and the work we're doing at the club. But for sure, if you win you put pressure on the others."

Erik ten Hag said it would be "normal" if he has already held talks about becoming Manchester United's next manager.

The Ajax boss did not confirm whether discussions have taken place, and stressed he would wait until the end of the season before declaring his intentions.

But the 52-year-old appeared to give a strong hint his future could lie at Old Trafford, and said he hoped Ajax would understand if he elects to leave a year ahead of his contract expiring.

In an interview with Germany's Sport1, Ten Hag was asked about reports he has already spoken to United about the vacancy that will materialise when interim manager Ralf Rangnick steps aside.

"Everyone knows each other in the industry. There are always talks with representatives from other clubs, that's normal," Ten Hag said.

"Manchester United is a great club with great fans. But I can only repeat myself: My full focus is completely on Ajax. We are already planning for the new season."

Ten Hag has stuck by the line that his immediate attention must be on the present, with Ajax in a battle with PSV for Dutch league and cup glory.

"But in football you never know," he said. "I don't want to rule anything out."

He said outside interest would be "a distraction", adding: "If at some point I should decide to take the next step, I hope that people here will understand."

Ajax will hope to retain the coach who joined in December 2017 and helped the team reach the 2019 Champions League semi-finals, landing the Eredivisie league title in the same year and also in the 2020-21 campaign.

"I've sat down with Ajax after every season so far," Ten Hag said. "That will also be the case this time. I can say that Ajax and Erik ten Hag are very happy with each other at the moment."

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino is reported to be the other main contender for the United job, with the incoming boss set to take charge of a team that last won silverware in the 2016-17 season, when they landed the EFL Cup and Europa League titles.

United sit sixth in the Premier League heading into the weekend, four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal who have played one fewer game, and a major squad overhaul likely awaits the next manager.

Ten Hag's Ajax are top by two points from PSV in the Eredivisie, and the title rivals also meet in the final of the KNVB-Beker on April 17.

Simon Harmer titled the first Test between South Africa and Bangladesh in the Proteas' favour on day two in Durban.

South Africa ended day one on 233-4 with Temba Bavuma on 53.

Bavuma added 40 to his overnight score, falling seven runs shy of a century, but Harmer led South Africa's lower-order resistance with an unbeaten 38.

After the hosts were bowled out for 367, Harmer - returning after over six years away from the longest format - did significant damage with the ball, claiming all four wickets, including the scalp of captain Mominul Haque for a duck as the tourists reached stumps on 98-4.

Khaled Ahmed got Bangladesh into the lower order by removing Kyle Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder with successive deliveries, only for the tourists to then be frustrated by a partnership of 53 between Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj (19).

That stand was broken when Bavuma was undone by some sharp turn from Mehidy Hasan, who struck leg stump before Ebadot Hossain snuck the next delivery through the gap to dislodge Maharaj. 

Harmer counter-attacked in style, hitting four fours and a six, and then continued to torment Bangladesh with ball in hand.

Shadman Islam went for nine as Harmer got one to keep low and clatter into middle stump and then exploited the turn to bowl Najmul Hossain Shanto for 38 with a ball that beat the outside edge.

Keegan Petersen's one-handed diving catch gave Harmer his third and the crucial wicket of Mominul and he then had Mushifqur Rahim caught behind for seven. Mahmudul Hasan Joy represents Bangladesh's best hope of a fightback, having reached stumps unbeaten on 44.

Harmer makes belated Test impact

Making his first Test appearance since 2015, Harmer, who curtailed his international career to sign a Kolpak deal with Essex in 2017, produced an high-quality demonstration of his quality. Thirty-eight represented a highest score with the bat in this his sixth Test, while he is on course to easily surpass his previous best innings figures of 4-61.

Harmer had claimed 4-42 at the close of play, bowling seven maidens in his 20 overs.

More misery for Mominul

Mominul's exit, though the product of a superb piece of fielding, meant he went for a duck in a second successive Test, having done so in the first innings against New Zealand in Christchurch in January.

The Bangladesh skipper has now produced a single-figure score in six of his nine innings in the longest format.

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone believes Barcelona president Joan Laporta merely demonstrated his intelligence and good taste by expressing interest in Joao Felix.

The Portuguese attacker has recorded six goal involvements in his last five games in LaLiga – four goals and two assists – which is as many as he managed in his previous 30 games in the competition, when he tallied just three goals and three assists.

Joao Felix is helping his side to a strong run of form as they chase Champions League qualification for another season, impressing not only Simeone.

Earlier this week, Barcelona chief Laporta confirmed an admiration for the 22-year-old, revealing he attempted to engineer a swap for the forward when Antoine Griezmann agreed to leave Camp Nou for Atleti early in the season.

Joao Felix's six league goals this season put him third in Atletico's goalscoring charts behind Angel Correa (11) and Luis Suarez (nine) for the season.

"I live from day to day, from game to game," Simeone told a news conference ahead of Atletico's clash with Alaves.

"[But] it doesn't seem surprising to me that a president as intelligent as Laporta speaks perfectly about Joao. It doesn't surprise me at all.

"He is in a great moment. He feels good, strong, committed to what the team needs, and we always look for that, he is performing and that is why he is playing."

The Atletico boss also confirmed the former Benfica prospect is "fine" and showing "no discomfort" after making two substitute appearances for Portugal during the international break.

Simeone's team are chasing Champions League qualification after winning five consecutive league games, having won just one of their previous 10. They could win six successive games in LaLiga for the first time in over a year – they won eight in a row on a run which ended in January 2021 – when they host Alaves.

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City could slip up before the season ends and still claim the Premier League title.

With Liverpool chasing hard, there appears to be little wriggle room for leaders City, who have nine games remaining in their trophy defence.

Liverpool visit City on April 10 in a fixture that could go a long way to determining the destiny of the title, given its proximity to the end of the campaign.

Former Barcelona boss Guardiola can see a scenario, though, where City do not have everything go their own way between now and the final-day clash with Aston Villa on May 22, yet still end up as champions.

"We can do mistakes and win the title, so nobody knows," manager Guardiola told a news conference ahead of City's game at Burnley.

"Whatever happens in this game or the next one or the next one, it's not going to be champion. We're going to fight until the end, that's for sure."

City could drop down to second place by the time they tackle Burnley on Saturday afternoon. Liverpool, who are a point adrift, have an earlier game against Watford.

But Guardiola says his players would feel no psychological effect should they be knocked from their perch by Jurgen Klopp's team.

"Nothing. Zero. Why [would it]?" Guardiola said. "At the end of the weekend we'll know the position we are. But even going a point in front or a point backward, we have to do our job, nothing changes."

This is the time of the season when both Liverpool and City risk being stretched, despite their player pool resources.

Both are chasing titles in England and Europe, with Guardiola wary his side will be playing midweek and weekend games throughout April if they maintain their Champions League push by seeing off Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.

"It's not the first time we've done it," he said. "That means so far we have done incredibly well. Now it is game by game, and the first is Burnley."

City won 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium when they met Burnley in October, and that was also the outcome when these sides went head-to-head at Turf Moor last sesson.

Saturday's game promises to be a clash of cultures, with City having had 685 open play sequences of 10-plus passes in the Premier League this season, at least 187 more than any other side. Burnley have managed just 66 such sequences, making them the only side yet to have reached triple figures for that metric.

This is a fixture that might slip off the Premier League schedule next season, with Burnley second-bottom and in danger of relegation.

Guardiola expressed his admiration for Burnley boss Sean Dyche, but these are worrying times for the Clarets chief, whose team have lost their last three Premier League games by an aggregate score of 8-0, despite being level at half-time in all three. They last lost four consecutive league games without scoring a single goal back in May 2015.

City have won 24 of their last 26 Premier League games against sides starting the day in the relegation zone.

After Burnley away, City head into the first leg with Atletico on Tuesday, before Liverpool head to Manchester. After that game, there will be just seven rounds of Premier League games remaining.

"We have still nine games to play," Guardiola said on Friday. "Game by game, we'll see what happens.

"We know what we have to do, we have to win games, that's all. We're going to try."

It wasn't so long ago that voicing the idea of Juventus challenging for the Scudetto this season would have seen you laughed out of the room.

Yet, remarkably, they could potentially end the weekend just four points off the summit, and a victory over defending champions Inter would be a decent barometer of just how emphatic their late push is going to be.

Serie A's standout match this week is undoubtedly the Derby d'Italia between Juve and Inter in Turin, with Italy's top flight essentially establishing a pretty firm top four ahead of the international break.

But Massimiliano Allegri's Juve surely won't be content with just settling for fourth spot, and a win on Sunday will show they mean business.

A bedrock for improvement

Even if Juve do end up winning Serie A, Allegri will still have to contend with plenty of critics given their shock Champions League exit to Villarreal.

However, there's little doubt he has presided over a significant improvement since Andrea Pirlo's exit, even if the Old Lady remains more functional than fun.

The most notable aspect of their improved form is Juve's unbeaten streak. They have not lost any of their previous 16 league games, making them only one of two teams across the big five leagues to not suffer a domestic defeat in the past four months, the other being Sevilla in LaLiga.

The omens are good for Inter's visit as well: the Nerazzurri have won just once in 15 trips to Juve and that came way back in November 2012.
 

Timely break

Simone Inzaghi must have been concerned about Inter's form prior to the international break, which seemingly came at a good time for them.

Over their previous nine Serie A matches, Inter have gained just 11 points and won only two matches – sure, victory on Sunday and another in their game in hand will put them within three points of the summit, but that previous run is hardly a hallmark of champions.

By comparison, Juve have hit the accelerator at arguably the perfect time. Over the same period, Allegri's men have taken 21 points.

The Bianconeri have rocketed into contention by finding consistency when, for the most part, the top three have wobbled, and if they continue their run, Juventus will be hard to ignore in the title race.

Juve, beware!

For all of their recent woes, Inter of course remain a dangerous opponent with a particularly threatening tail.

That's to say Inter do have a habit of finishing strong and not knowing when they're beaten.

In Serie A this season, Inter's 19 points won from losing positions is more than any other team, while they have scored 22 times in the final 30 minutes of games – that's a joint-high with Atalanta, Lazio and Hellas Verona.

Juve ought to heed such a warning – don't get complacent with a slender lead in the latter stages.
 

A tight affair?

While Inter are the league's top scorers with 62 goals, there's reason to suggest this won't be an unrelenting goalfest… *cue eight-goal thriller*.

These are two of the league's best three defences, while no team has kept more clean sheets than Juve's 13 this term.

On top of that, Juve have proven rather miserly when it comes to allowing goalscoring situations, with their average of 3.1 shots on target concede per 90 minutes being bettered only by Torino.

Inter aren't much worse in that respect, with their average at 3.6 – that's the sixth best in Serie A. Of course, a clinical display in that regard could still lead to plenty of goals, but clearly if there's any area both of these sides have excelled in domestically this term, it's defensively.

Thomas Tuchel says it is "good news" that Cesar Azpilicueta's contract extension has been triggered at Chelsea, and hopes the Blues captain will stay at least another year at Stamford Bridge.

The Spain defender's deal was due to come to a close at the end of the current campaign, but has automatically renewed for a further season after he hit a number of games this term.

It comes amid what is effectively a transfer embargo on the club due to outgoing owner Roman Abramovich's sanctions in relation to the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

With Azpilicueta able to walk as a free agent at the end of the campaign, Tuchel admitted he was happy to tie his captain down, though he could still leave if restrictions are lifted before next season.

"I knew it was going to happen because I knew the amount of games before it was going to happen," he stated. "It was so close.

"It’s a good thing, we were aware of it. It's good news for us. We have a contract, he's our captain, it's a very high possibility he will stay."

The same concerns linger for other out-of-contract players however, with defender Antonio Rudiger one of the biggest names linked with an exit.

Amid reports the Germany international's brother and agent met with Barcelona - who have also reportedly pursued Azpilicueta in recent weeks - Tuchel acknowledged he too would chase the former if he was available.

"I would try to meet him [Rudiger] if I were any other club," he added. "Still, he's our player and I still think we have a good chance he stays our player once things are solved for us.

"The situation is the situation at the moment. Our hands are tied, we cannot speak to him and offer him or negotiate or renegotiate with his agents.

"So it is fair enough if he listens to other offers. That is the way things go, but I'm still confident."

Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani will miss a "couple of weeks" with the injury he suffered on Uruguay duty, Ralf Rangnick has confirmed.

Cavani was substituted during a 2-0 win over Chile during the international break, as Uruguay cemented third place in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers after a run of four successive wins.

In a pre-match media conference looking ahead to Saturday's Premier League clash with Leicester City, Rangnick confirmed the news while discussing the various positions in which Paul Pogba has been deployed in recent weeks.

"Since the game against West Ham on January 22, we have lost three strikers," the interim Red Devils boss said.

"Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood and even Edinson Cavani, who is injured again, unfortunately, and will be out for the next couple of weeks."

Cavani has managed just two Premier League goals during a frustrating campaign, seeing 614 minutes of league action all season.

Manchester United have lost two of their last three games in all competitions (winning the other). They had lost just one of their previous 20 following Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's November dismissal, recording 10 wins and nine draws in that time.

Jurgen Klopp is confident Trent Alexander-Arnold will be fit for Liverpool's potentially pivotal trip to Manchester City next weekend.

Reds right-back Alexander-Arnold sustained a hamstring injury last month that ruled him out of the FA Cup win at Nottingham Forest and England's two international friendlies.

Reports earlier this week claimed Alexander-Arnold was back in full training on Wednesday, suggesting he was likely to feature against Watford on Saturday.

Klopp dismissed those claims when addressing the media on Friday, claiming the 23-year-old only fully re-joined the rest of the squad earlier that day, only committing to it being "possible" that he plays on Saturday.

But any worries about the influential full-back missing the trip to City next Sunday – in what is being billed as a potential Premier League title decider – have seemingly been put to bed.

He told reporters: "Trent trained yesterday [Thursday] in parts and is in full training today.

"We will see what we do with that. Trent wanted to play for England, just to make sure everyone knows that, but he couldn't.

"The scans showed he could not go anywhere but sometimes injuries are not that serious and you are not out for five or six weeks, it's two weeks for Trent. It's tight for tomorrow, but possible.

"It depends what he does in team training. He was with the rehab and fitness department before, it was really intense what he did before with us, he should be fine. I'll make the decision."

Asked if will be ready for the midweek trip to Benfica in the Champions League, Klopp added: "I think so."

As such, Liverpool should be able to count on his services away to City in what is surely the Reds' biggest game of the season.

That will be a major boost given Alexander-Arnold's significant influence as a creative hub for Liverpool, even from right-back.

Only Alisson and Virgil van Dijk (both 2,430) have played more Premier League minutes for Liverpool than Alexander-Arnold (2,313) this term, while he leads the way for total chances created (77) in the squad.

Only Mohamed Salah (51) can better his 42 chances created in open play, though Alexander-Arnold's 11 assists is a Liverpool high.

In fact, his 10.9 expected assists (xA) shows that his goal creation comes from incredible creative reliability, rather than him benefiting from especially exceptional finishing – no one else in the Liverpool group has more than 5.6 xA this season.

Pep Guardiola has indicated Manchester City will have to cope without Ruben Dias for crucial games against Atletico Madrid and Liverpool.

Centre-back Dias has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in the FA Cup win at Peterborough United on March 1, and it was revealed he faced four to six weeks on the sidelines.

It appears the Portuguese defender will be available again closer to the six-week mark than Guardiola might have hoped, with City facing Atletico in the Champions League either side of a Premier League clash with title rivals Liverpool.

First comes a trip to Burnley on Saturday, with Dias a confirmed non-starter for that game.

"I don't know," Guardiola said, when asked how much longer Dias faced on the sidelines.

"The doctor said four to six weeks. I think we need 10 more days, two weeks more. Everything is going well."

The first leg of the Atletico quarter-final is coming up at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, with Liverpool visiting on Sunday, April 10, three days before Guardiola's men are back in European action in Madrid.

The timeframe suggests Dias may struggle to play any part in those three games, which are followed by an FA Cup semi-final, also against Liverpool, on April 16 at Wembley.

Although Dias has been an integral figure in Guardiola's first-team plans, his absence from four Premier League games this season has not had a majorly adverse impact to date.

Without him, City have won three times and drawn once in four games (average points: 2.5), while with Dias in the side they have won 19, drawn three and lost three (average points: 2.4) – though the sample sizes are significantly different.

City would have good cause to be cautiously optimistic of taking three points at Burnley without Dias involved, however.

After taking five points from their first 12 available against City in the Premier League (W1 D2 L1), Burnley have managed just one point from the subsequent 11 games between the teams (D1 L10).

Indeed, City have won their last nine meetings with Burnley in all competitions by a 32-1 aggregate score.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel praised the response of Jorginho to Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup.

The Blues playmaker saw his nation fail to reach Qatar 2022 following their UEFA play-off loss to North Macedonia last month, bringing the Azzurri back to earth after last year's Euro 2020 triumph.

For Jorginho, a standout performer for club and country over the past year-and-a-half, it has been a bitter blow, and he was released early from international duty to return to Stamford Bridge.

Speaking ahead of his side's Premier League clash with Brentford this weekend, Tuchel said he had not addressed the matter in-depth with the player, but took time to hail his resolve.

"To be very honest, I did not speak a lot with him about that," Tuchel told a media conference. "What could I say to make his pain go away? Nothing.

"If I am the 200th person to tell him to put his head up high... Like always, with the players, it is our job to create an environment and atmosphere where the players feel welcome, feel safe.

"Of course this happens in sport, and it feels horrible for him personally. But here is a safe place for him. He was very strong in training, with a good response.

"He came in one day earlier than he needed to be. That's why I had the feeling that he wanted to be back in this environment, because it is a positive environment."

Jorginho was instrumental in Chelsea's run to Champions League glory last term, and then Italy's Euro 2020 triumph over England in July.

But two missed penalties during the World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland proved pivotal in the Azzurri failing to win their group and having to contest the play-offs.

The Brazilian-born midfielder will now look to help Chelsea push on to finish on a high this term, with the club still in contention for FA Cup and Champions League success once more.

Ralf Rangnick is confident Harry Maguire will not face abuse from Manchester United after he was jeered while on international duty with England.

Maguire's name was booed ahead of England's 3-0 friendly win over Ivory Coast on Tuesday, a reaction that was widely criticised by Gareth Southgate and his Three Lions players.

Southgate described the response at Wembley as "an absolute joke", while Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson, Jack Grealish and Declan Rice all came out in defence of Maguire.

Given the centre-back has played a key role in England's runs to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and Euro 2020 final, the vocal criticism appeared to relate more to his club form.

Maguire, who is the United captain, has come under scrutiny in a tough season at Old Trafford.

However, interim United manager Rangnick does not expect he will experience a similar reaction from his home fans at club level.

Asked if he had yet spoken to Maguire about the incident, Rangnick replied: "Not yet, but I speak regularly since I'm here, so he knows my position towards him.

"He's been a very valuable player for the team and the club, the captain.

"I didn't understand what happened at Wembley, it won't happen in our stadium with the Red Army behind the team and our captain. He's been playing well for Manchester United and England in the last couple of years.

"Gareth Southgate said something after the game and Harry Kane. I didn't watch the game, but I heard what had happened after they announced the starting line-up. It's difficult to understand.

"I don't speak to them in person, but I'm pretty sure it won't happen in our stadium. For it to happen in an international game is pretty unusual."

Rangnick was then asked if he could explain why Maguire in particular received such criticism for his United displays.

"I don't think this is a personal thing," he responded. "It hasn't anything to do with Harry himself.

"We know there are one or two players who have been criticised in the last few months. For example, Fred, a very important player for this team, playing regularly for the team and Brazil. I watched his game and he did well.

"Maybe it's still got to do with the high expectations around this club and maybe people tend to compare with former players and legends.

"Fred, we can also speak about Scotty [McTominay] and Harry, they are important players and players with the right attitude."

While Rangnick reserved plenty of time ahead of Saturday's game against Leicester City to discuss how Maguire and Fred fared during the international break, he was less interested by a Paul Pogba interview during his time with France in which he described this as another "dead" season at United.

"I've got enough to do now to prepare the team for the next game," Rangnick said. "Tomorrow's game is another important one, and I don't think it makes sense to interpret or just judge what he has maybe said in an interview, it doesn't make sense.

"That's something you can do if you want. For me, it's only important to judge him."

Jurgen Klopp is confident Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will deal with their international rivalry "in the right way" after Senegal beat Egypt to World Cup qualification.

The Reds boss also condemned fans for targeting Salah with laser pens as he skied Egypt's first spot-kick in their penalty shoot-out loss, with Senegal qualifying for Qatar after a 1-1 aggregate draw in the African play-offs.

Tuesday's defeat represents the second time this season that Salah has been bested by his club team-mate on spot-kicks after Senegal accomplished the same feat to win the Africa Cup of Nations in February.

Salah and Mane have hit a combined 32 Premier League goals this season, with the Egyptian scoring 20 and the Senegalese forward netting 12.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Watford, Klopp, while condemning the laser pens, expressed his pride for Mane's achievement and backed the duo to move on in the correct manner.

"I'm obviously really happy for Sadio that he could make it, and I'm obviously very disappointed for Mo," Klopp said.

"I don't think that the situation around the penalty and the laser was particularly cool, so I feel for him [Salah]. But I'm happy for Sadio as well, that's football. 

"It's different when two mates are in such a big game, playing against each other, but they are both top professionals, very emotional people as well, but I'm pretty sure they will deal with it in the right way. 

"There's no doubt about it, at the moment, Senegal are the best team in Africa, and Egypt did really well to take them twice to the wire, twice to a penalty shoot-out.

"Senegal have an extremely talented squad and Egypt did really well. I'm not sure they can see it like this exactly, but from my point of view they should.

"They got unlucky with the draw, against pretty much all other [African] teams, Egypt would have qualified for the World Cup."

No player has scored the opening goal in more different Premier League games this season than Mane (six), while Salah has scored the joint-most winning goals in the competition this term (also six).

Salah has now faced penalty heartache twice this calendar year with Egypt, but Klopp claims the 29-year-old's international disappointment will simply spur him on at club level. 

"There's no doubt about it, Mo wants to win everything he can," Klopp added. "That's why he was very disappointed about the fact they couldn't win the [AFCON] tournament or qualify for the World Cup.  

"That's different competitions, his desire will be bigger now, and he's a very smart person who sees the difference between all these things. 

"We didn't speak about it in detail, to be honest, but he knows that Senegal are a tough team. Mo was unlucky in moments, especially with the penalty shoot-out, but nobody has to worry about him."

Salah has been directly involved in 11 goals in just seven Premier League games against Watford, scoring nine and assisting two.

He averages a goal or assist every 57 minutes against the Hornets, the fourth-best ratio any player has against a club in Premier League history having played a minimum of 600 minutes against that opponent.